Creative endeavors

Recently I took up sketching during my prayer time. It may sound odd, but it has saved my prayer life.

My mind tends to drift off when I am in prayer, and I struggle to be present. So, I started sketching what is in front of me to bring myself to the present moment. I don't try to make the sketches remarkable, but giving my hands something to do and my eyes something to focus on allows me to meditate on Our Lord better. Ever heard of artists who get into their flow? It is basically another word for "being in the zone." Time passes quickly while they work on their art but their minds can be thinking of really profound things unrelated to the project.

That is what I have been doing. I used to pray to aid my art, now I draw to aid my prayer. My mind is preoccupied just enough by drawing that it does not drift to my to-do list. Then most of my focus is on my prayer.

A friend told me that a blank page is like our hearts when they are ready to listen and a simple sketch helps us focus on what we need to see, what is important. So to further this way of praying, I try to be in front of religious art. It has brought me significantly closer to Mother Mary. How beautiful she is, how soft and loving her gaze is upon me.